1. Field of Invention
This invention is directed toward improvements in folding closures.
In one aspect, the invention is more particularly directed toward a panic bar assembly for use on a folding door. The invention is also directed toward a folding door incorporating panic bar assembly.
In another aspect, the invention is directed toward a folding closure with a folding door therein, adapted to move easily around corners.
2. Description of Prior Art
Panic bar assemblies for non-folding doors, particularly non-folding, emergency exit doors, are well known. The assemblies generally include a rigid panic bar which extends horizontally across the back of the door, generally at waist level. The bar is spaced several inches away from the back of the door, and is movably mounted at its ends to fixed mounting members, one located at each side of the door. Within one of the mounting members, the bar is operatively connected to the door latch. When the bar is pushed down and toward the door, relative to the mounting members, it will automatically operate the door latch to open the door. In a panic situation, where people crowd against the door, trying to get out of a room or a building closed by the door, the people at the front of the crowd, pushed against the bar, will move it to operate the latch and thus automatically open the door.
Panic bar assemblies are usually installed in non-folding, emergency exit doors in commercial buildings or establishments because of their fool-proof operation. However, many commercial buildings or establishments, particularly those located in enclosed shopping centers or malls, now employ folding closures. The folding closure often unfolds to extend across the entire width of the establishment to close the front of the establishment. To provide an emergency exit from the closed establishment, the folding closure is often provided with a folding emergency door in its structure. This emergency door folds and unfolds along with the remainder of the folding closure. When the door is unfolded, a latch in the door can be operated and the door can be swung out to open an emergency exit in the closure. At the present time, however, no known panic bar assembly can be employed on the emergency exit door since the rigid, fixed, panic bar in the known assembly would prevent the folding of the door during folding of the closure.
The folding closure is normally hung from a track extending across the top of the opening to be closed. The closure is suspended from supports mounted on rollers which run on the track. Normally, the emergency folding door in the closure extends over the height of closure. In order to be able to open the door in an emergency however, it cannot be connected to, or hung from, the track. Thus the emergency folding door within the folding closure is normally carried by adjacent sections of the closure rather than by the track. The adjacent sections of the closure carrying the door are suspended from the track. The above arrangement however presents problems in opening or closing the closure when the closure is moved about a curved section of track to be folded or stored on a short track section which extends perpendicular to the opening, and to the side of the opening. The folding door within the closure, which is not suspended from the track, does not follow the curved section of track but instead extends across the curved section. This makes it almost impossible to move the closure about the curved section of track, in either direction, by handling it from its free end. Instead, the closure, and often the folding door, must be manually handled in the vicinity of the folding door in order to move it past the curved track section. Due to the required manual handling or manipulation, opening or closing folding closures about curved track sections, which closures incorporate full height emergency folding doors, is difficult and awkward.